2 Kings 19:8-19

Sennacherib's Departing Threat

8 When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he returned and found him fighting against Libnah.

9 The king had heard this about Tirhakah king of Cush:^[a] "Look, he has set out to fight against you." So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10 "Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Don't let your God, whom you trust, deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.

11 Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries: they destroyed them completely. Will you be rescued?

12 Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them-[nations such as] Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?' "^[b]

Hezekiah's Prayer

14 Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, read it, then went up to the Lord's temple, and spread it out before the Lord.

15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: "Lord God of Israel who is enthroned [above] the cherubim, You are God-You alone-of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.^[c]

16 Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God.

17 Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands.

18 They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands-wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

19 Now, Lord our God, please save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God-You alone."^[d][e]

2 Kings 19:8-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 19

This chapter relates that King Hezekiah, on a report made to him of Rabshakeh's speech, sent a message to the prophet Isaiah to pray for him, who returned him a comfortable and encouraging answer, 2Ki 19:1-7 and that upon Rabshakeh's return to the king of Assyria, he sent to Hezekiah a terrifying letter, 2Ki 19:8-13, which Hezekiah spread before the Lord, and prayed unto him to save him and his people out of the hands of the king of Assyria, 2Ki 19:14-19, to which he had a gracious answer sent him by the prophet Isaiah, promising him deliverance from the Assyrian army, 2Ki 19:20-34, which accordingly was destroyed by an angel in one night, and Sennacherib fleeing to Nineveh, was slain by his two sons, 2Ki 19:35-37.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or Nubia
• [b]. Isa 37:8-13
• [c]. Gn 1:1; 2 Ch 32:20
• [d]. Isa 43:10-11
• [e]. Isa 37:14-20